Site Location and Context
Background
The site comprises 2.0 hectares of agricultural land located on the eastern edge of Hollywood, Worcestershire, within the administrative boundary of Bromsgrove District Council. It lies adjacent to the settlement boundary on its western edge, offering a logical and sustainable extension to the residential area of the village. To the east and south, the site is bordered by open countryside and scattered farmsteads, contributing to its semi-rural character. The site is enclosed by mature hedgerows and established trees, forming a well-defined edge. Where possible, these natural features will be retained to enhance visual amenity for both existing and future residents.
Sustainably located, the site benefits from accessible public transport links, with bus stops on Alcester Road within walking distance, offering services to Birmingham, Solihull, and surrounding areas. A Public Right of Way runs through the site, connecting Mayhurst Close in the north with Houndsfield Lane in the south. This footpath will be preserved and enhanced as a green corridor, improving site permeability and access to local amenities within Hollywood.
Development will be set back from Houndsfield Lane to accommodate Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and amenity space to the south. Combined with existing mature trees, this will create a green buffer between the development and the road, providing a landscaped gateway into the site. The proposed scheme is designed to balance the enhancement of biodiversity with the provision of high-quality green spaces for residents.
Overall, the site represents a suitable and sustainable location for new homes, free from significant environmental constraints. It offers the opportunity to deliver a high-quality residential development that integrates seamlessly with Hollywood’s built form and supports the needs of both the existing and future community.
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Planning Policy
The site is in Bromsgrove District Council. The adopted Bromsgrove District Plan (2011-2030) sets out the strategic framework for development across the district. Within the adopted development plan Hollywood is recognised as part of Wythall and is therefore identified as part of a large settlement. After Bromsgrove town, new development will be directed to sustainable locations within larger settlements like Wythall.
As it was adopted in January 2017, the development plan reached its five-year threshold in January 2022. The NPPF says the policies most important to deciding applications can be treated as out-of-date if the Council cannot show a five-year housing land supply. In those cases, the presumption in favour of sustainable development becomes engaged.
The government has recently updated how housing need is calculated. The Council’s latest Housing and Land Supply Report published in December 2024, identified a 1.98-year Housing Land Supply against the required 5 years. This report indicates a clear shortfall in deliverable sites and highlights the need for additional development to meet this need.
Prior to the revised NPPF published in December 2024, development within the green belt was considered largely unrealistic. Under this revision, the exceptions of inappropriate development in the Green Belt were extended to include developments that will utilise grey belt land. Grey Belt is defined within the NPPF as “land in the Green Belt comprising previously developed land and/or any other land that, in either case does not strongly contribute to any purposes (a), (b) or (d) in paragraph 143” These purposes of the Green Belt are – to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas; to prevent towns merging and to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns. We consider this site to be grey belt as it doesn’t contribute strongly to the purposes a, b or d in paragraph 143 in the NPPF.
Paragraph 155 of the Framework sets out that the development of homes in the Green Belt should not be regarded as inappropriate development where the following applies:
- a) – the development would utlise grey belt land and would not fundamentally undermine the purposes (taken together) of the remaining Green Belt across the area of the plan;
- b) – there is a demonstrable unmet need for the type of development proposed
- c) – the development would be in a sustainable location
The site is considered to be grey belt and the development of it will not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the Green Belt across the area of the plan – the site is relatively small in size and well contained within its boundaries, the Council can only demonstrate a 1.98 year supply of housing land and so there is a demonstrable need for housing, and the site is located within a sustainable location, with the wide range of services available in Hollywood, accessible on foot. The connectivity of the site is further supported by regular bus and train services that provide links to Birmingham, Solihull and other surrounding settlements. This makes the site an ideal location for addressing the shortfall in deliverable sites as our proposals will deliver much-needed housing in a sustainable location.
Engagement
On 16 October 2025, we introduced our emerging proposals to Wythall Parish Council’s Planning Committee at Wythall Village Hall, setting out an outline scheme on land north of Houndsfield Lane. Access to the site would be gained via Houndsfield Lane, retaining existing hedgerows, established trees and the public right of way, and space allocated to the south-west for SuDs. (see presentation screenshots below).
